


Plums

by daenerisse



Category: Naruto, Naruto (Anime) RPF
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Character Death, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-08-05
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:07:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 16,981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25219024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daenerisse/pseuds/daenerisse
Summary: She was a flight-risk and her heart was guarded but the enigmatic and aloof Hatake Kakashi managed to tear down her walls, in more ways than one. But now, she was left with a child in her belly and the memory of the man who was long gone.
Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke, Hatake Kakashi/Original Character(s), Hatake Kakashi/Original Female Character(s), Hyuuga Hinata/Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 12
Kudos: 37





	1. At the Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by Troye Sivan's "Plums" and also because Hoshi-ume are my favorite snacks. The story is set during Naruto Shippuden with snippets of The Last, some flashbacks here and there because, you know, it builds up the angst. LOL Please leave a comment. Constructive criticisms are welcome. :))

"You don't have to leave because of me, Noriko."

She scoffed at his words and hurled a disdainful look.

"Please don't be so full of yourself _Rokudaime Hokage-sama_. I'm not leaving because of you."

Well, that much is true. They have broken off _whatever_ _it was_ that they had but that wasn't the reason why she decided to move out of Konoha.

"Then... why?"

Noriko gulped in an effort to stabilize her voice. She took a moment to calm herself, she didn't want him to see how hard this was for her, how the thought of leaving and never seeing him again tear her insides to shreds. But she had to do it. For her sake, for both _their_ sakes. She almost placed a hand on her belly, almost revealed what she kept hidden from him when she stopped herself. 

No. He will never know. It's better if he didn't know.

"That's none of your business now."

He ignored the hostility in her voice. "Where will you go?"

Noriko didn't respond because she didn't know herself. She trembled at his gaze, her heart beating loudly, painfully inside her chest. The tension that hung in the air was heavy and the anxiety that she was feeling kept piling up.

"If there's anything I can do to he-"

"Just give me the damned travel documents, Kakashi!"

The man visibly flinched at her outburst but composed himself seconds after. He gently placed down the scroll, that he had been holding, on the table. He turned on his heel but after taking a few steps, he stopped and asked. "Will I see you again?"

Once again, Noriko remained quiet. Afraid that once she opened her mouth, the tears that pooled in her eyes will come falling after.

"Have a safe journey." Kakashi finally said then disappeared from her sight.

* * *

Noriko’s eyes snapped open; sitting upright, her ragged breath echoed across the dark room. Despite the chilly January night, sweat trickled down her temples, her nightshirt clung to her wet skin.

She dreamt of Shisui again -dreamt of the last moment they spent together before he jumped off a cliff and killed himself. Even after years have passed, the death of her former teammate still clung to her psyche like a leech. The image of him plummeting towards his demise still makes her heart throb painfully.

She hopped off the bed and plodded towards the direction of the light switch before flicking it on. She trudged back then settled herself by the bedside table where a few frames rested -one of which is a photograph of her, her teammates, and their sensei. She traced their faces as tears started to form in her eyes.

“I miss you guys, it’s so lonely without you.”

Fukumi Noriko lives alone on the third floor of an old shack within Konoha. She had lived there since she entered the academy -it was the only house she could afford with her parents’ meager savings after they died. It was a lonely world, coming home to an empty house day after day, but all of that changed when she met her teammates. She still came home to an empty house but she had something to look forward to for the coming day.

But now, they’re all gone. Everyone dear to her, gone. Noriko often wondered why she was the one left, why she survived this long given that she was the weakest among her team. At 26, she remained a Chunin and has since strayed from field missions, opting to bury herself in Konoha’s Hospital with medical work. She has acquaintances; Aoi, Misaki, and some of the medic-nin in the hospital but none of them came close to what she had with her team. 

And Noriko knew deep in her heart that no one could ever replace them. Nothing else could fill the void they left in her.

It wasn't easy living with a shadow over her head but the world won't stop spinning for someone trapped in the past, so Noriko sniffed away the last of her tears then composed herself. _Get your shit together_ was how her late sensei would say it. She glanced at the wall clock, it read 9:30 PM, knowing she wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep anyway, she decided to get ready for work early.

Thirty minutes later, she was dressed in her regular clothes -her _hitai-ate_ clung to her forehead, her long black hair in a bun, a small belt-bag wrapped over her trimmed yukata, and black shorts underneath. Locking the door behind her, she decided she would stop by Ichiraku’s for a bowl of ramen for _dinner-slash-breakfast_ before heading to work.

Heart still heavy from her dream, she quietly dragged herself across the streets of Konoha with only the street lamps illuminating her way and the only sound were her sandaled heels crushing the gravel beneath her feet. Noriko hoped for another uneventful day _-or rather night._

* * *

Noriko’s tired yawn filled the quiet hallway of Konoha Hospital. Her trudge became heavier with every passing second as she made her way to the lobby. After a 10-hour shift, _kami_ forbade if she had to work overtime again. Her regular shift ended two hours ago but the medic- _nin_ who will supposedly relieve her got caught up in a two-hour murky affair so she was asked -more like begged -to cover it.

“Done for today?” Aoi, the newest medic- _nin_ in training, asked. Her rimless pair of eyeglasses slid down a fraction of her nose when she faced the approaching Noriko.

“Finally,” Noriko replied with a groan. The bespectacled girl handed her the log scroll. “I don’t understand,” Noriko prompted as she wrote her time-out details, “ _Aoi_ , but your hair is purple?”

Aoi stared at her, unamused. “Suppose I should dye my hair blue?”

Noriko shrugged in response, too exhausted to come up with a witty comeback. “There, I’m out.” She handed the scroll back to the girl. “See you!”

Aoi let out a cheeky grin and waved.

Noriko huffed out a relieved sigh as she turned on her heels towards the exit. The first thing that she will do upon getting home is to hit the sack and sleep until dark. She will never volunteer for a graveyard shift again. It was only her second week but it felt like it had been years.

The Konoha Medical Corps run 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Shifts are divided into three; from 8 AM to 4 PM aka morning shift, 4 PM to 12 AM aka afternoon shift, and 12 AM to 8 AM aka midnight shift -or more popularly known as graveyard shift within the medic- _nin_ clique.

Noriko thought that being a _Chuunin_ and all, changing your body clock is a lot like walking on water. But hell no. No one even warned her that sleeping dead until dark is a lot like flipping the world upside down.

A blur of green and white wheezed past her just as she was a couple of steps away from the exit. Her quick reflexes helped her maintain her balance as she pivoted to the side. Noriko huffed in annoyance as she whipped around to glare at the culprit.

Her eyes went wide as it met the spandex suit of Might Guy, with an addled Hatake Kakashi ridiculously perched on his back. She raised a brow at the scene before her.

“Greetings!”

Noriko winced at the amount of unnecessary enthusiasm.

“My friend is not in good shape and requires medical help!”

“Guy- _sensei_!”

The figure of Haruno Sakura, panting and sweating, came into view. Her worried face fell on Noriko.

“Ah! Noriko- _senpai_!” 

It was the first time she heard her name sound like a plea.

“Kakashi- _sensei_ needs to get checked immediately. Please do a prelim, I will fetch Tsunade- _shishou_.”

Before Noriko could even respond, Sakura was out of sight and she was left with Guy -looking at her expectantly, Aoi -with a bewildered expression and a deadpan Kakashi -still hanging off his friend’s back. She stifled a moan as she trudged back to where the three Shinobi are. Aoi flashed her a sympathetic look as she handed out an In-patient form.

“Please have Hatake-san’s medical record sent to me,” Noriko instructed. She turned to Guy. “Follow me, please.”

 _What a long day._ She thought dejectedly as they crossed the hallway into a ward.

“On the bed, please. Thank you.” Noriko stood by the bed where the masked _Shinobi_ lay. “What happened to him?” She asked as she performed Mystical Palms to check on his body’s condition and other vital signs.

“He is battle-drained after facing a dangerous foe.” Guy diligently informed.

“ _Chakra_ exhaustion and a few minor injuries.” She diagnosed after a few moments. She withdrew her hand and faced Guy. “I will have to ask you to step out of the room so I can examine him thoroughly.”

“Of course! I shall be waiting outside!” He did a snappy salute before marching out of the room.

Noriko sighed for the nth time that hour as she tied her hair up in a bun again. Hatake Kakashi’s _chakra_ is dangerously low, not all was spent, thank _kami_ for that. Aside from sleeping and resting it out, there’s nothing much that she can do. Given the man’s status as a _Shinobi_ , his stamina compensated for his regular _chakra_ reserve. Noriko has to wonder what kind of _Jutsu_ he used that left him in this state.

A knock on the door broke her train of thoughts.

“Enter.”

“The patient’s records, Noriko- _senpai_.” It was Takahashi Misaki, two years her junior in the Medic Corps. His lanky physique towered over her. “Do you need anything else?”

“No, thank you.” She said dismissively. Noriko scanned the records. Hatake Kakashi has a short history of hospital stay, mainly because of _chakra_ exhaustion. She studied him silently, his mask piquing her interest. She had known who he was since she entered the Academy but never met him personally, he was only Kakashi the Copy Ninja to her. She had never seen him without a mask. Come to think of it, it was the first time she saw him up-close, albeit creepily because the guy is knocked out until _kami_ knows when.

The door opened and Noriko subtly jumped back in surprise. It was the _Hokage_ , followed by Shizune and Sakura. Noriko straightened herself.

“ _Hokage-sama_ ” She greeted as the trio approached, stopping by the foot of the bed.

“I’ll take it from here.” The _Hokage_ declared. Noriko promptly obeyed and handed her his medical records. “Thank you, Noriko-san, now go home and rest.”

“Hai, _Hokage-sama_.” She gave a stiff bow then nodded to Shizune and Sakura.

“He used the _Mangekyo Sharingan_?”

Noriko’s sharp senses caught the _Hokage’s_ question just before she closed the door. She stopped in her tracks at the familiar _Dojutsu_. She had only ever seen the _Mangekyo_ thrice in her life and only from two different Uchiha. How then could someone not from the Uchiha clan with none of their blood activate the _Mangekyo_? She knew Kakashi of the Sharingan and heard tales of its greatness along with the shinobi who possess it. But this, this was new. She wondered how could that be. 

"Noriko-nee!"

She looked up, startled at the sound of her name. Her eyes went wide in surprise. "Naruto-san?" With him came Neji, Tenten, and Lee.

The said boy stood before her and she immediately noticed the changes after not seeing him around for about two years. He was taller now and wore an orange and black jacket instead of his old orange and blue ones. His face still had those whisker-like markings and youthful appearance but his blue eyes are now tinged with maturity while still retaining glints of playfulness.

"Ehehehe, you miss me?"

"Noriko-san, will Kakashi-sensei be alright?" Lee's panicked question shot up.

"He'll be fine, Lee-san. Tsunade-sama is checking up on him now." There was a collective sigh from the group at her assurance. "Well, I'll see you guys around. Welcome back, Naruto-san." She smiled at him briefly.

"Let's catch up later, Noriko-nee." He promised before disappearing into the ward where Hatake Kakashi currently is. Noriko mused once again, as she made her way back to the lobby, what kind of mission the group has just gone to. She quickly dropped the thought, there's no way she'll ever find out anyway. Why should she stress herself on this? 

"Are you going home for real?" Aoi teased.

"Hopefully." She groaned.

"See yah!"


	2. Formation! Team 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * I used a JRR Tolkien quote, the line is from his book The Fellowship of the Ring. It's one of the greatest quotes in literature, like ever. 
> 
> Anyways, hope you liked this chapter! Comments are loved!!

_"Next up, Team 11 members come forward when I call your names. Jukuroki Kenji..."_

_"HAI!"_

_"Uchiha Shisui."_

_"Hai!"_

_"And Fukumi Noriko."_

_"Hai.."_

_"Tachibana Akio will be your team captain. You may go."_

* * *

"You're late, you brats!"

"Huh? Who are you?" 

Noriko heard her new teammate ask the kunoich in front of them. The woman was tall with long dark brown hair and deep black eyes. Her face was stern with one eyebrow quirked up and her thin lips were set on a firm line. She wore the standard green flack jacket of Konoha with black long sleeves underneath. A kunai holster was tied around her right leg over her dark pants.

"Huh! You must be Jukuroki Kenji." 

"Yes, and you are?" He asked haughtily. His balayage of black and red hair swayed with the wind as he stood akimbo. 

The kunoichi smirked. "Rule number one of Team 11, never forget my name because I will be the one saving your sorry assess when you brats get in trouble." With a flick of her wrist, she sent Kenji flying a few feet away. When the dust settled, Noriko and her new teammate, Uchiha Shisui saw Kenji cradling his forehead with a groan. That earned a sinister chuckle from the kunoichi before them. "I am Tachibana Akio and I will be your worst nightmare if you continue acting like a brat."

Noriko gulped. This woman is scary but she tried her best not to show what she felt. 

"Your first activity as a team is to get to know each other. From here on, you will have to rely on your teammates and strengthen your teamwork if you want to be successful in your missions. Say your names and the reason why you want to be a shinobi." Akio-sensei turned to her. "You first, since you're the only girl in the group."

All eyes shifted to her and Noriko felt jittery for a second before composing herself. "I'm Fukumi Noriko. I want to be a ninja so I could become strong."

"Why do you want to be strong, Noriko?" Their sensei asked.

Noriko fell silent as a wave of memories crashed on her. 

It had been days since the Third Great War ended, she had slept by the door of their house, anxiously waiting for her parents to come back. They were sent to the front lines ever since the war started. The news traveled fast that the Hokage and Tsuchikage had come to a peace treaty and with it came the inauguration of a new Hokage. Noriko remembered with a heavy heart, standing at the grave of her parents, crying her eyes out while everyone else was celebrating. She hated everyone, the Iwagakure, the Tsuchikage, the Third, and the newly appointed Fourth.

"So I could kill the Iwagakure-ninja who killed my parents." She finally said.

"A lot of shinobi died during the War, and those who killed your parents probably died too. What will you do then?" Akio-sensei challenged.

Noriko didn't answer because she didn't know the answer.

"Many that live deserve death and some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them, Noriko?"

She looked up at her sensei and she saw a gentleness in the fierce kunoichi's eyes. She shook her head before looking away.

Akio-sensei reached out and hand, gently tilting her chin up so they could see eye to eye. "Then don't be too eager to deal out death with judgment, even the very wise cannot see all ends." She flashed Noriko a small smile before turning to the two boys who were listening intently. "That goes the same for both of you. It's easy to believe that shinobis are trained to hurt and kill but the very essence of being a shinobi is not in the number of ninjutsu you could do or skills in taijutsu or genjutsu you could perform."

"Then what is it?" Kenji asked. 

"Uchiha Shisui, do you know?" Their sensei turned to the dark-haired boy of the group.

"We train to become strong shinobi so we could protect the village and its people." He answered confidently.

"Correct. As expected from an Uchiha."

* * *

The sun had begun to set when Akio-sensei dismissed them. After their short self-introduction, she made them run laps around the training ground and perform basic chakra control. Noriko was tired and worn as she walked along the streets of Konoha with her new teammates.

"You should put an ice pack on your forehead so it wouldn't bruise." She heard Shisui advice Kenji, she briefly looked at the boy's forehead, a red spot formed on the center. 

"When I become stronger, I'll get back at Akio-sensei," Kenji swore.

"We all have a long way to go before we can match up to Sensei's skills." Shisui countered. Kenji harrumphed in response before bidding them goodbye as they turned into a corner.

"My house is that way," he points to the street adjacent to them. "I'll see you guys tomorrow!" He waved then disappeared.

The two of them continued walking in silence which Noriko was thankful for because she didn't have the energy left for conversations. She just wants to plop down and sleep until tomorrow.

"What you said earlier about wanting revenge..."

She stopped in her tracks and looked over her shoulder at Shisui who had ceased walking. She faced him and asked, "What about it?" 

Shisui stepped closer to her, his tear-troughs and upturned eyelashes more visible now. He regarded her with a serious expression as if battling with himself if he should speak up or not. Finally, he spoke, "I think you should forget about wanting revenge, it is not the duty of a Leaf Shinobi. My father told me that we should be loyal to the vi-"

Noriko's anger flares up. She pulled on Shisui's dark shirt and crumpled it in a fist. "What do you know?! WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT HOW I FEEL?!"

Shisui raised both his arms in panic. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you."

Noriko shoved him away from her. She fought the tears that threatened to fall and with a hoarse voice, she declared, "You will never understand how I feel because your parents are still alive." She turned on her heel and ran away just as tears started streaming down her face. 

What do they know about how she felt? What do they know about the things she went through, those sleepless nights where she cried until there were no more tears left to cry, the loneliness that ate her heart as she clutched her parents' old clothes, in the darkness of their old house, wishing for them to come back. She was just a child, why did it have to happen to her? To her parents? 

No, they will never understand until they experience what she went through.

Once again, her feet led her to her parents' graves. They lay beside each other, a bouquet of wilted flowers sprawled on the stones. She fell to her knees. How many times had she begged the heavens to take her too? She wanted to die too. But she couldn't do it herself. She was afraid. When she told them she wanted to be a ninja to avenge her parents' deaths she wasn't telling a lie but it wasn't the whole truth either. She hoped that being a ninja was also the easiest way to die. 

"Noriko-san..."

She sat up, startled at the mention of her name. She turned around and saw that the Uchiha boy had followed her. She glared at him. "What are you doing here? Why did you follow me?" It wasn't enough that this boy invalidated her feelings, he had to see her in her vulnerable state.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you with what I said."

"I asked why did you follow me?" She questioned him again.

"I was just worried, it's already dark and I..."

"And what?"

"I didn't want you to be alone." 

Noriko fell silent, speechless at Shisui's answer.

"You're right, I don't know how you feel because unlike you, I still have both my parents. And I'm sorry I hurt you. " He placed a hand on her shoulder and gently squeezed it. "But whatever you plan to do will not bring them back, Noriko-san. So I promise that as long as I am alive you will never be alone again."

"Why are you doing this?" 

"Because you are my friend."

* * *

"HUH?! WHAT KINDA MISSION IS THIS?!" 

Akio-sensei's fist landed on top of Kenji's forehead sending him face-planted on the floor of the Mission Assignment Room. "Forgive his loud mouth, _Yondaime-sama._ Thank you for giving us their first mission as a Genin Team."

"No problem." The Fourth Hokage replied with a smile before wishing them luck on their first assignment. Once they were out of the room, Akio-sensei gave Kenji another beating because of his loud and rude mouth. Shisui and Noriko watched in anxious silence at the prospect of losing a teammate so early in their shinobi career.

"What, did you think you'll be given an S-Rank mission as a genin?"

"But cleaning the village's cemetery is hardly a mission!"

Noriko winced as another fist landed on Kenji's head. He just didn't know when to stop. 

"Cleaning the cemetery is a great honor because it is where the great shinobi who protected the village during the war now lay, Kenji." Shisui tried to reason with him.

"Who cares? They're all dead anyway, they wouldn't know if the place is clean or not."

"Noriko, no!"

She didn't know who called out her name but she didn't care. She had pinned Kenji against the wall in a flash, her kunai aimed at his throat. "Say that again, you spoiled brat." She challenged.

Kenji gaped at her, wide-eyed and trembling. Before any of them could move, Akio-sensei broke her off from him. "Stop this, both of you! And take that kunai away, Noriko, it's not meant to be used on your comrades." She berated.

Noriko glared at Kenji one last time before storming away.

"Noriko!" Shisui caught up with her. "He didn't mean it. He was just-"

"I don't care! Go away!" She ran faster but Shisui trailed behind her. He grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him in an embrace. She let herself get caged and sobbed on his chest. Her tears stained his shirt but Shisui didn't seem to mind as he let her be. 

Noriko calmed down moments later, having spent her tears. She broke off from him with a blush, unable to meet his eyes.

"Noriko?" 

She stiffened at the voice that called her name. Shisui stepped aside as Kenji took his place in front of her. He looked at her with downcast eyes. "I'm sorry." He prompted. "I wasn't thinking when I said those things. I didn't mean to disrespect the memory of your parents, please forgive me."

Once again, tears pooled in her eyes. Kenji could be a stuck-up, immature, spoiled-brat most of the time but she knew his apology was genuine. "You're forgiven." She mumbled in reply.

Kenji offered her a small smile. "Here." He pulled out a cloth from his pocket. Noriko took it appreciatively and wiped her tears.

"Thanks."

"Now let's finish our first mission together!"

Team 11 spent their morning raking in dried leaves, collecting wilted flowers and replacing it with fresh ones, and polishing gravestones. They assigned each task to a member and all three diligently carried out their responsibilities while Akio-sensei observed from a distance, a satisfied smile on her face. 

Kenji paid his respects to Noriko's parents and asked for an apology as well upon arriving at the cemetery. Being in charge of polishing the stones, he made sure to put in extra effort in their graves. When he got to the Memorial Stone where the names of the fallen shinobi were listed, he vowed to the group that he will be a Hokage someday and to make sure that no war will happen again. 

"You can't even beat Shisui." She teased, their quarrel earlier already forgiven and forgotten.

"I can! I just hold back because I don't want to hurt him." He reasoned with a pout.

Shisui just chuckled in response. He graduated top of their class but he was never arrogant with his skills. He even often helped their classmates when they are struggling. Nonetheless, Kenji was skilled too and Noriko realized that she probably was the weakest among her team. She remembered struggling with chakra control while Shisui and Kenji did it without a hitch.

With Shisui, it wasn't really a surprise as everyone from the Uchiha clan are terrifyingly skilled. But Kenji was a surprise. He was the first in their family to become a shinobi, he shared, during the introduction that his father and brothers were strongly against it. He came from a family of merchants and by default were wealthy. It shows in his clothes; he wore a vibrantly-colored silk _haori_ over linen shirts and pants. His clothes always looked new, unlike hers and Shisui's which were quite worn.

It was well past midday when they finished their tasks. Their stomach growled in hunger as they made their way back to the Mission Assignment Desk to do a mission report.

"Good job, brats!" Akio-sensei beamed at them proudly. "Now barbecue's on me!"


	3. The Dango

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kakashi is testing me, I hope he's not too OOC. I watched tons of videos about him so I could catch his sense of humor.

"Noriko-san, the Hokage wants to see you."

"Huh? Me?" She asked, surprised at the sudden summon. A Jonin stood before her in regular Konoha attire. 

"Yes, I am to accompany you to the tower." He replied.

"Alright." She complied, sighing mentally. She trailed behind him as she subtly made herself presentable, smoothing stray strands of her hair back in place and brushing off imaginary dust from her clothes.

The Tower was a couple of blocks away from the Hospital and the distance gave Noriko ample time to wonder what the Hokage could possibly want from her in the middle of the night. She was rarely given missions ever since she joined the Medical Corps and quite frankly, she wanted it to stay that way. She fervently hoped that the Hokage wouldn't assign her a new one, especially field a mission. The field brings back memories, painful ones that she would rather be buried deep in her psyche. But she couldn't really do anything about it if the Hokage assigns it.

It's not like Konoha has a facility that rehabilitates traumatized shinobi. The geezers are strongly against it and deem it a waste of funds. They think wounds are only physical. They have no idea that mental wounds are the grave ones. It's high time they change things regarding shinobi's mental health. And with Tsunade, a renowned medical-nin, they may be looking at a silver lining. 

The Jonin ushered her in the office and she was met by Shizune -with a bottle of _sake_ in her hands. It seems. 

"Hokage-sama, Shizune-san." She bowed before approaching the table. "You called for me?"

"Yes," Tsunade replied before turning away from the window. Her cheeks were tinged with pink hues, probably the effects of the alcoholic drink. "I'm placing Kakashi in your care during his stay in the hospital, you're one of the seniors and the others might cower from him, given his reputation. He's a stubborn mule who'll probably do something stupid instead of resting. Just knock him out if he tries anything."

Noriko was bewildered at the thought but just nodded in response. "Hai, Hokage-sama."

"You're dismissed."

Well, that order could've been delivered by any other ninja but for it to come from the Hokage herself must mean it's very important. But then again, how hard could babysitting a knocked-out jonin ninja be? 

Upon arriving back at the hospital, Noriko went straight to the ward where Hatake Kakashi currently stayed.

"I see you're awake." She found the masked ninja sitting upright, rolling his stiff shoulder. He turned to her with a wrinkled smile.

"Hai, hai," He responded rather cheerfully. "And I feel like walking around to get some snacks." The man moved to get off the bed.

"Not a chance." She stood before him, blocking his way. "I'm under strict orders from the Hokage to stop you from not resting."

"But I want to eat _dango._ "

Noriko rolled her eyes at the petty excuse. "There are no _dango_ shops open at 2 in the morning, Hatake-san."

"Hn, that's too bad. They say eating will help a person get better." 

She felt a vein pop in her head. This man is trying her patience. She could easily knock him out in his current state but she'll save that move for later if he insists on doing something really stupid. For now, she'll humor him so he gets off her back.

"Stay here, I'm gonna get you something." She turned on her heels then paused. "If I come back and you're gone, I swear to _kami,_ I'll hunt you down and tie you to that bed with Adamantine chains. Do you understand?."

"Don't worry, I'll stay put." He assured her. 

She doubted it.

But true to his word, she found he stayed put when she came back five minutes later with a bowl of plums in hand. She gingerly placed it before him and he eyed the fruits with interest.

"I didn't know _ume'_ s in season." He commented.

"It's pickled."

"So you just happened to have _umeboshi_ with you tonight or what?" He teased before popping in one round fruit in his mouth. "Thanks. I surely won't be leaving this bed tonight."

"I prefer that you don't leave until you're discharged." She countered. "I'll check in again on you later."

" _Mata ne."_ He bid.

There goes her last stash of _umeboshi._ She sighed, it would be hard to find fresh plums in the market because it is as the man implied, plums are not in season. She briefly mourned the loss of her favorite snack. Oh well, nothing she can do now, at least feeding the guy went better than knocking him off.

* * *

Noriko checked on him in the morning before her shift ended. Naruto and Sakura were present and they seem to be talking about something serious when she arrived. The yellow-haired boy's face lit up as soon as he saw her.

" _Ohayo_ , Noriko-nee." 

"Morning." She greeted back albeit sleepily. "You guys are up early."

"We have a new mission from Tsunade baa-chan."

"I see." She narrowed her eyes at the masked man. "You better not be plotting your escape with these two." She warned.

"My, my, why would I ever do such a thing?" He replied, an innocent smile on his face.

"We just came here to say goodbye to Kakashi-sensei." Sakura chimed. "And we'll be going with a new captain and team member." She added softly.

Naruto grumbled at the mention of the new teammate. "I don't like him already. Once we get back Sasuke, I'll kick that Sai out in no time."

_Sasuke._

The name tugged painfully at her heartstrings. 

"Anyway, we need to get going, Naruto. Captain Yamato's waiting for us."

The two bid their goodbye and left. When Noriko turned to him, Kakashi looked at her with a grave expression. "You knew the Uchiha brothers before the massacre, right?" His question was sudden and straightforward that Noriko was taken aback.

"I did." Was her stiff reply. "Nothing matters now, they're both gone."

An uncomfortable silence passed between them as they regarded each other. Noriko grew more disconcerted as Kakashi held her gaze. He was perceptive and she didn't exactly like it that he was observing her. He must have already noticed she felt uneasy at his question.

"Do you have any more of those _umeboshi_?"

Noriko was mentally relieved at the change of subject. "Unfortunately, that was the last of my precious stash."

"That's a pity. I guess I'm gonna go for some _dango_ tonight."

Her eyebrow twitched, he must be teasing her but she won't give him the satisfaction of seeing her visibly annoyed. At least he'll be out of her hair during the day. 

* * *

As Noriko lay in bed that morning, her thoughts went back to Kakashi. His look unnerved her, it was as if he saw right through her, to what she felt, it was like he understood the grief that lingered in her gaze at the memory of people long gone. It unnerved her because for a brief moment it comforted her. The thought that someone else understood what it felt like to live on after losing everyone you held dear in your life comforted her. 

But it scared her as well. 

It scared her that she found comfort in a stranger's gaze. It scared her that Kakashi empathized. Because it would mean they formed some sort of connection. And connection means bond.

And it was something she would not risk. 

No. 

She had enough of forming attachments and losing them. She had a tight grip on reality that life as a shinobi is fragile and short-lived. She watched as her comrades, those who managed to survive, reassembled their lives after losing comrades, brothers, sisters, mothers, and fathers. Heck, she went through it herself; losing her parents, her sensei, her friends, after friends, after friends. Noriko had to find ways to make it alone, living her life content with loneliness.

But she betrayed herself as she stopped by a _dango_ shop later that night before going to work.

* * *

"You should be resting." She declared as soon as she entered the room.

"I am." The masked shinobi replied dismissively, not tearing his eyes away from the green book in his hands.

Noriko sighed, letting him be. As long as his ass stays planted on the bed then it's fine.

"That _dango_ smells nice." He commented, eyeing the brown paper bag in her clutch.

Noriko scoffed before handing it to him. "That'll be 500 _ryo_."

"Hai, hai," Kakashi accepted, finally facing her, the same wrinkled smile plastered on his face. "Put it on my tab."

She resisted that urge to tell him he's not in a bar and ignored his last statement.

"How are you feeling?" She asked, and before he could open his lips to reply, Noriko added, "You're gonna have to answer me seriously if you want that _dango_ to stay here."

Kakashi went stiff before relaxing again. "You're quite a spirited one, aren't you?"

Noriko raised a brow, still waiting for his answer to her question earlier.

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, I'm still feeling awfully tired and I've no plans leaving this room until I'm fully recovered."

But that actually didn't make her feel any better because this man unnerved her. It was only his second night and recovering from chakra exhaustion almost always takes a week, two weeks at the most.

"Hmm, then I'll leave you with your perverted book."

She stepped away, missing Kakashi's surprised look. Before she reached the door, he called out to her.

"Thanks for the _dango_."

Now, Noriko would be lying if she says she hasn't, in all her 24 years of life, thought about what Hatake Kakashi would look like without a mask. There have been numerous theories that attempt to explain the enigma that lay behind the obscuring black cloth covering his face.

She thought of tricking him earlier into taking a bite but realized that Kakashi would probably see through her ploy. Plus, it was childish and immature and Noriko would like to believe that she's way past that behavior.

And so she trudged her way back to the Medic-nin station and braced herself for another uneventful night in Konoha Hospital.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments are loved :) as well as kudos. :))


	4. An Encounter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy! Comments are loved :))

A couple of days later, Team 11 was once again called to the Mission Assignment Desk. Kenji voiced his hopes for a more challenging mission, one that would allow him to showcase his ninjutsu skills and beat some ass. 

"I doubt they would assign us that kind of mission right away, this is only our second." Noriko reasoned. 

"You're right. They will probably have us chase lost cats or something." Kenji dejectedly agreed.

Akio-sensei appeared before them with the mission scroll in hand. She thought it was better she went alone to receive their mission to avoid Kenji acting out again. The trio sprang on their steps, excited and curious about their newest assignment.

Akio-sensei rolled open the scroll and briefly scanned the document before facing them. "Your new mission will take you outside of Konoha."

The trio gasped in surprise. 

"Finally! We're gonna be facing other ninjas!" 

"Don't get too excited, Kenji. The Land of Rice Fields only requested for pairs of extra hands in harvesting their crops this season."

"Man!" Kenji groaned, evidently deflated. 

Noriko giggled. By now, she's used to Kenji's antics and though she too was a little disappointed at their new mundane mission she did not let it show. 

"Don't worry, Kenji," Shisui spoke beside her. "I'm sure someday, we'll receive a mission that will let you hurl a shuriken or two at someone."

Akio-sensei gave a few more details regarding their mission before she dismissed the trio. They were to meet at the main gate tomorrow at the first light -which earned another groan from Kenji. 

Noriko waved her teammates goodbye before going on her way. Her steps led her to her parents' graves, as they always did every day. 

"Mama, Papa." She greeted as she slumped down the grass. "I won't be able to visit you for a few days. We have a mission outside Konoha, you see! I'm excited but also nervous, but don't worry about me, I'll be alright. We'll be going with Akio-sensei and Shisui and Kenji." She giggles at the thought of her teammates. "Kenji doesn't like to admit it but I can see that he's trying his best so he could beat Shisui. So you see, you don't need to worry about me, I'm training really hard too!"

Noriko stood up and dusted herself. "I'll get going now, mama, papa. I'll see you in a few days, I love you both."

She turned on her heel and head towards the direction of her house. In the past, she always left the place with tears in her eyes and the somber memory of her parents, but now she left the place with a little less sorrow. Noriko knew it wasn't just because of her excitement in their upcoming mission but the thought of Shisui, Kenji, and Akio-sensei - her new family.

* * *

"Ohayo..." Noriko sleepily greeted Shisui and Kenji. She just arrived at the main gate in the wee hours of the morning and found that the boys were already there. The two greeted her in response, with Kenji being a little too enthusiastic. It seems, despite his disappointment yesterday, that he's excited as well.

"Look what Shisui got!"

"Is that a tanto?" She asked in wonder, sleep immediately leaving her eyes. Kenji held a short sword in his hand, the sharp blade glinted in the early morning light. "That's so cool, where did you get it, Shisui?"

"My father gave it to me last night, he said I might need it for our mission since we're going to a different village."

"I wish I knew how to wield a sword." She replied wistfully.

"I can teach you."

"Eh? What about me? You should teach us both!" Kenji chimed in.

Shisui chuckled. "Of course!"

At that time, Akio-sensei finally arrived and Team 11 head off to the Land of Rice Fields. 

It was past noon when Team 11 set foot in their destination. The sun blazed above them and everyone could hear Kenji's stomach grumbling in hunger. The trio took shelter in one of the big trees that littered the land while Akio-sensei conversed with someone. From the looks of it, the old woman is a native of the land; she donned a straw hat on her head, high-ankled brown boots, and a dark overall with plaid long sleeves underneath. Her overall clothing looked worse for the wear, a proof that she spent probably most of her life in the fields.

Noriko looked around her, it was her first time seeing a land flooded with paddy fields. She had seen paddies but not on this scale and number. Little  _nipa_ huts dotted the terrain and everywhere she looked, she saw the color green and brown. She briefly wondered how long it would take for them to finish the mission seeing as the fields stretched out for miles and miles.

Akio-sensei approached them. "We'll have our lunch and after that, we'll begin our work."

Noriko was sure Kenji wanted to protest at having to be put to work right away but did not have the energy to do so. The old woman, who goes by the name Kaede, lead them to a vacant hut where food was already prepared; steamed rice, steamed fish, steamed vegetables; the delicious smell wafted in the air. After thanking the woman for their land's hospitality, team 11 wasted no time digging in. They were only given a couple of minutes to rest before they were called on to the field.

"You must be the guys from Konoha," A young man approached them with a smile. He wore the same outfit as the old Kaede. "I'm Jiro."

Akio-sensei left them in Jiro's care, told them she had other business to attend to. Kenji grumbled, suspecting that their sensei just wants to escape from working in the field.

"Here." The man name Jiro handed the trio a stack of overalls. "Put these on so your clothes won't get dirty. You can grab a pair of boots from the hut over there. I'll tell your tasks when you come back. You better be quick or granny will hound you." He said with a wink.

Five minutes later, the trio marched back to where Jiro waited for them and he started to teach them how to harvest rice.

"The first step is to drain the paddies, but we've already done that so all that's left is to cut the plant and dry them out." He handed each a sickle and demonstrated how a rice plant is cut. "Hold the stalk here and cut at the end using your sickle. Be careful not to cut your hand," he cautioned. "Once we've cut a handful, we transport them there," He pointed to a nearby area where rice plants lay. "And we dry them out for two to three days."

"That's fairly easy." Kenji mused.

Jiro laughed at Kenji's remark. "We'll see later, alright. I'll leave you three so can start. Feel free to ask me if you have any questions." He reminded them then stalked off.

By the time the sun sets, the trio was beyond tired. The trudge back to their hut was filled with their groaning. Noriko's legs and feet protested every step of the way while her stomach groused, she was sure the same could be said for Shisui and Kenji. The latter took back his words earlier when he said their job was easy. Being hunched over their back all day under the simmering heat was no easy feat.

As they neared the hut, a wave of savory smell hit their noses. 

"I wish I could go faster but my legs won't let me," Shisui commented.

"Same," Kenji added. "I'm so hungry and tired. I'd pick training over farming anytime."

"That's too bad, Kenji because you're gonna be farming again for the next three days." It was Akio-sensei who spoke, standing by the hut's entrance. 

Kenji pointed an accusing finger at their sensei. "You should also be farming with us!"

"I told you I have other business to attend to."

"Lie!"

Noriko mentally agreed at Kenji's accusation. 

"Whatever, brat." She dismissed. "Eat dinner and rest. You need to get up early tomorrow."

It was dark outside when team 11 lay on the wooden floor to rest. Jiro came by earlier and gave them  _tatami_ mats, blankets, and pillows to sleep on. He, along with some others, also brought them pails of water so they can wash the day's dirt off their bodies.

Noriko lay across Kenji while Shisui lay by their head. She pulled the blanket over her body and stared at the ceiling.  _This feels nice_ . She thought, spending the night with her teammates and not alone in her house. Despite how tiresome she felt, she was elated at not having to be left in solitude.

"Good night Shisui, Kenji."

"Night." The two replied in unison.

Their mission went by without a hitch, except for some cuts and scratches and some bug bites. By the time the fourth day rolled in, the trio was more than ready to start their journey home. The village people gave them snacks that they could munch on while traveling. 

"I can't wait to plop down on my bed and sleep for a week."

"But we still have to drop by the Mission Assignment Desk to report the outcome of our mission." Noriko reminded Kenji which earned her another groan.

They were nearing the border of the Land of Fire when Akio-sensei abruptly halted. Kenji, who was animatedly chatting with Shisui bumped into their sensei's back.

"Aww! What the-"

"Quiet!" She hissed in a whisper. "We're being followed."

Tension filled the air. They promptly took out each of their  _kunai_ and stood guard, their backs facing each other. Their eyes roamed the area, looking for any sign of the prowler. Akio-sensei was before them on high alert.

Noriko took a deep breath. Her eyes darted from one place to another, keeping watch of any movement, all while trying to convince herself that whoever is out there is not as threatening as they thought it to be.

She was wrong. Seconds later, a bomb seal was thrown their way and Noriko was able to leap away split-second before it exploded. A couple of debris hit her, scratching her forearms as she shielded her face. Kenji landed beside her unscathed.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Who could that be and why are they attacking us." He gritted his teeth.

When the smoke cleared, a ninja stood on the spot where they were moments earlier. The man was imposingly tall, he towered even over Akio-sensei. He had pale skin and his slanted eyes and bald head made him eerily creepy. He wore a beige-colored tunic and a purple rope-like belt was tied around his waist, knotted at the back. The  _hitai-ate_ on his forehead revealed him as an  _Oto-nin._

"A Sound ninja?" Kenji muttered beside her.

The Oto-nin gave her a menacing look with a smirk on his lips. Without warning, he charged at her with blinding speed. Noriko fell on her behind, eyes wide as Kenji's kunai clashed with the Oto-nin's. 

"Don't get in the way, kid, if you don't want to die." The Oto-nin warned in a hoarse voice. 

"You're the one who's gonna die, bastard!"

"Kenji, Noriko!" Akio-sensei called over the Sound ninja's shoulder, beside her stood Shisui who had already unsheathed his tanto, the sharp end pointed warningly at their enemy. "Who are you and what do you want with us?"

The Oto-nin only smirked in response. He pushed Kenji off of him before doing a series of hand seals at lightning speed.

Dread filled Noriko as she was plunged in a world of darkness. Even with her eyes open, all she could see was black. She blindly reached her arms out calling for her teammates, she slowly stood up and tentatively took a step forward. "Sensei! Kenji! Shisui! Where are you?! I can't see a thing!" There was no answer from them, only deafening silence roared in her ears.

Noriko took another step, and another, and another. She didn't know how long she had been walking when finally she heard a voice.

"Noriko..."

She whipped her head around but she was yet again she met with darkness and silence.

"Noriko..."

No, she knew that voice knew who it belonged to. 

"Mama.." She called back.

"Noriko, my love..."

"MAMA!" She cried out. It was her! Oh god, how she missed her mother's voice. How long had it been since she last heard it? The gentle sound brought comfort to her broken heart. "Mama!"

"Come, Noriko. Come to your mother."

Despite the pitch-black darkness that surrounded her, she fell into step and followed where she thought the voice was coming from. The only thought Noriko had in mind is she's going to see her mother again. She took another step but a winding force hit her on the chest, she stumbled a few steps and blinked.

Shisui stood in front of her, panting. The darkness was gone and she stood in the middle of nowhere near where she was when... They were attacked! Her worried eyes fell on him, aside from his worn-out appearance, he didn't seem to be seriously injured.

"Shisui, what happened? Where's Kenji and sensei?"

"We were under a genjutsu, he wanted to lure you away." He explained. "They were fighting him when I noticed you were gone."

"But how... why me?"

"We don't know yet. We better go back to where they are." He stepped past her and Noriko turned to follow him, hoping they would get to their teammates in time before something bad happens.

But why did the  _Oto-nin_ want her? The voice earlier, her mother's voice was all his doing. He tricked her and she was a fool to have fallen for it. She mentally berated herself for letting her emotions get the best of her. Her foolhardy action could have cost her her own life, worse, her teammates and Akio-sensei's.

"Shisui, weren't you affected by the genjutsu?" She inquired as they now ran, the wind whipping her face.

"I was but I activated my  _sharingan_ and the jutsu dissipated. It seems Akio-sensei wasn't affected at all because when I came to, she was already battling him. Kenji dispelled it on his own. The Sound ninja kept us busy fighting him that it was too late when I noticed you were gone." He gritted his teeth.

Seeing him riled up made her feel guilty. Shisui was the level-headed one in their team and seeing him in this state was a moment of realization for her. If she hadn't been so weak, if she was half as good as them, maybe this wouldn't have happened. 

Shisui was a genius, even for an Uchiha. Everyone said that. Kenji, while he came from a non- _shinobi_ family, is doing exceptionally well. He only fell a step short of Shisui's genius, he's got talent and the drive. While her, she was the weakest of them. Ever since their team was formed, it's like all she ever did was cry and whine and shout at the two.

Shisui and Kenji, they're leagues and miles away from her in skill, talent, and determination. 

* * *

"One thing's for sure," Akio-sensei started as they made their trek back to Konoha. Her cautious eyes fell on Noriko who was steps behind them. "it's Noriko he wants."

When Shisui and her got to where Kenji and Akio-sensei was, they found that the  _Oto-nin_ was already gone, with a warning that he will be back for her. That it was his  _master's_ order.

But who was his master? And what did this master want with her?

"There's no doubt that when he comes back, he's bringing reinforcements." Their sensei added. "You might be constrained to in-village missions until we get to the bottom of this."

"If it will keep Noriko-chan safe, then it's fine with me." 

Kenj beamed at her. He took a nasty gash on the shoulder while fighting the Oto-nin but sensei had patched him up. He would receive further treatment in Konoha.

Noriko felt guilty. Now, because of her, Kenji's goals of higher-rank missions are impossible to come, what's worse is that he's hurt. 

With a defeated sigh, she realized that she's nothing but a burden to them. 

A burden and nothing more.


	5. Triggers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reaching Chapter five! Alongside Plums, I'm working on a Coffee Shop AU fic. I'm still undecided about the pairing, torn between another Kakashi/OC and Itachi/OC. Anyways I hope you enjoy this chapter.
> 
> Comments are appreciated. :))
> 
> !!CONVO ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH UP AHEAD!!

"Hatake-san! Hatake-san!"

Noriko lightly shook the man's shoulder but he continued to squirm beneath her touch. Beads of cold sweat trickled down his temples while his body tossed and turned.

"Kakashi!" She sparsely slapped his cheek. "Kakashi, wake up. It's just a dream."

He groaned and his head thrashed to the side one last time before his eyes snapped open. A gasp escaped his lips.

"Hey, it's okay, you're gonna be okay." she murmured as she helps him sit up. "It's just a bad dream, come.. breathe with me, inhale... exhale..."

She repeated the simple exercise until she was certain that he calmed down.

"Thirsty?"

"Yes.." He croaked out.

Noriko handed him a bottle and he gulped the contents in half.

"Thanks..."

"No problem." She replied reassuringly then activated her Mystical Palms. "May I?" She gestured to his back.

In response, Kakashi leaned down to give her access to it. Silence passed between the two, with their rhythmic breathing the only sound. 

"Aren't you going to ask?"

Certain that his vital signs are back to normal, she faced him again. 

"Do you want me to ask?"

Noriko waited patiently for his answer. This was a common occurrence in her ten years as a medical-nin. She's seen a great number of shinobi relive the horrors they faced in their sleep. As time pass, she learned how to deal with them when it comes.

"Traumatic events are complicated because our brain is complicated."

He looked at her with mild interest and she took it as her cue to keep talking.

"When we experience something emotionally overwhelming or shocking -that's traumatic- our brain will attempt to protect itself. It's like our brain has a brain of its own." She chided in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"The brain protects itself through dissociation. When our brain senses that we cannot overcome a traumatic experience, it disassociates, it disentangles itself from reality. If a person's lucky, the brain discards the experience leaving the person with no memory of the experience. But sometimes, something happens, 'triggers', we call it which brings the memory back again. But most of the time, people don't forget and the experience hunts them for a long time and when they think they got past it, a trigger happens and they relive it again."

Over the years, Noriko found that patients find it hard to open up about it and so she calms them by doing the talking. She patiently explains their condition to them -like any normal physical injuries, so too do mental wounds are easier to accept if explained in a way they will understand.

"Does it happen regularly?" She asked.

Kakashi shook his head. "Not recently, no."

"Then something must have triggered it, maybe you've seen or heard something that resembles what happened."

Kakashi stared at her for a few moments, and she stood there, internally rattled under his unfathomable gaze.

"Let's say I know what triggered it, what do I do?"

She cleared her throat to steady herself before answering. "Well, you confront it, not head-on but with slow and sure steps."

He remained silent, eyes still fixed on her.

"So! Do you know what it is?" She unceremoniously chirped and that seemed to break his obtrusive gaze from her. He turned towards the window where the soft lights of early daw begin painting the sky.

"It's you, you're the trigger."

Noriko's eyes went wide as bewilderment settled in.

"Me?!"

He only hummed in response.

Frustrated (which was unbecoming of her, really) with his reply, she marched to the other side of the bed to meet his gaze. "Umm, explain?" She demanded.

Her training as a medic-nin screamed at her not to harass her patients but she waved it away.

She is his trigger? How is that even possible?

He sighed and dropped his gaze, face contorting in a painful expression. 

Noriko felt guilty for her actions, she knew first-hand how hard it was to talk about traumatic experiences. How could she demand it from someone, from her patient nonetheless!

"I'm sorry, that was rude of me. You don't have to say anything if you don't want to."

One way or another she has to find a way to get a grip of herself when in Hatake Kakashi's presence.

"Seventeen years ago, I kept visiting the same place, everyday without fail unless I'm away on missions."

She stared, unblinking for a few moments. Then her gaze softened as she listened intently.

But 17 years ago? That was...

She swallowed hard. "That was after the third war..."

"Every time I visit," he continued. "Someone else would also be there. She always came before me and always stayd longer."

Noriko felt her hair stand on ends, goosebumps crawled along her skin and her lips quivered. She suddenl felt anxious as he relayed his story.

"One day, I stayed until she left and peeked at the grave stones she always visited."

He looked at her again, the same piercing and unnerving yet comforting look.

Her heart pounded at the unwanted solace.

"I found out that they were her parents," he paused then added, "Your parents."

"No.." she breathed.

"Every time I visit the grave of my former teammates, I also saw you."

"I need to go." She turned away from him abruptly but before she could take a step, Kakashi caught her wrist.

"I'm sorry." He softly apologized before letting go.

Noriko half-ran towards the door. The room suddenly felt small, the air heavy, suffocating even. She needed to get out and she did.

Her frantic steps took her to the hospital's rooftop where she welcomed the morning breeze. She took deep breaths to calm herself.

Inhale...

Exhale...

Once more, inhale... exhale.

She lost count moments later but even though she'd calmed down a stream of tears still flooded her cheeks.

_'Time heals all wounds._ '

She would tell her patients but now, even Noriko herself wonders. _Did it?_

Oh, but how could she forget? The last two decades of her life she knew nothing but being left, one after another, the people she loved died. Time hadn't really been any kinder to her over the years because if it did, she wouldn't be here, crouched on the rooftop's floor, breaking down in tears. 

She felt weak once again and cheated. Why did she have to be the one left behind? The one to suffer loneliness and grief. Why is it always her who took the short end of the stick? How many more times does it have to happen before life finally thinks she's had enough?

Noriko didn't know how long she stayed there but she knew it was well past her shift. The sun's heat had intensified and lightly burned her skin. The tears in her eyes had long dried as well. _What time is it anyway?_

She heard the door creak open. She turned her head at the intruder. She froze then narrowed her eyes.

"What are you doing here?"

The man looked surprised at her presence. "I didn't follow you here," He said in defense."But my day time guard isn't as strict as you are, she let me come here. Oh!" He exclaimed as if he suddenly remembered something. "She told me not to tell you so pretend I didn't tell you anything."

"It's Hotaru." She mused. That kunoichi has always been a little timid. Hatake Kakashi must've been too intimidating for her. Noriko mentally noted to assign Misaki, her lanky kouhai. He'd be more suitable.

"Go back to your room."

"Hai, hai.." He agreed dejectedly then turned.

Noriko trailed closely behind him. Even from the back, she could see a well-toned body beneath his sleeveless shirt.

"I know how it feels." He suddenly spoke as they descended the stairs.

"What?"

"I know how it feels to be left alone." 

She stopped in her tracks, caught off-guard. He halted as well then turned to face her. "I know what it's like to lose everyone."

"But you still have your team." She countered.

"I do." He agreed. "But I didn't have them back then. Plus, Naruto and Sakura are all grown-ups now and each has their own mentor they look up to."

"That doesn't make you any less important to them." She said, noticing the absence of another member's name. "They still look to you for guidance and I'm sure they still have a lot to learn from you." She assured him.

"Then I'll say the same to you, Noriko-san."

It was the first time he said her name. And Noriko's heart fluttered.

"Just because Sasuke left, it doesn't mean you're not important to him anymore. I believe one day when he comes back -and he will come back he'll need you. Before he had team seven, he had you, he'll always do."

"How could you possibly know that?" She scoffed in disbelief."

"I don't know. I just believe."

"Believe in what exactly?"

"In Naruto, he'll bring Sasuke back."

Noriko chuckled but not in joy. "Look, I know Sasuke since he was a child. If he made up his mind, there's nothing you can do to change it. Do you know how much I tried to steer him away from vengeance?"

"You weren't the only one who tried."

"Do you see my point, then?"

Kakashi sighed. "You may know Sasuke better than most of us but you don't know Naruto -and their bond. It's probably stronger than what you had with him if you gave up on Sasuke easily."

That blow hurt.

"I didn't. I'm just used to being left behind."

"That's what I thought too back then that's why I pushed people away." He said wistfully. "I was lucky to have a friend like Guy who pestered me until I stopped doing that." He looked at her, eyes pleading. "Give Naruto a chance, you won't regret it."

Kakashi turned and descended down the stairs, leaving her behind. Before he reached the curve he glanced back at her. "No need to guard me, I'll go back to my room and stay there." He declared then disappeared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I'm not a mental health expert. I got information from these sites:  
> 1\. https://www.caminodelafertilidad.com/how-to-deal-with-triggers-avoidance-or-confrontation/  
> 2\. https://psychcentral.com/lib/what-is-a-trigger/  
> 3\. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/12/161209081154.htm  
> 4\. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/post-traumatic-stress-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20355967
> 
> which I used in this chapter.


	6. Nine Tails and Revelations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you're still with me in this story :))
> 
> If you are, then I love you. Comments are appreciated sfm :)

The moment she opened her eyes, Noriko felt nothing but dread wash over her entire being. The rough gust of wind coming in from her open window was thick with it.

_Where is this feeling coming from?_

The very night itself was ominous. To say she felt uneasy was an understatement but it compelled her to get geared up. There was no rational reason behind it but Noriko didn't fight her instincts.

She heard it first, a blood-curling roar that made her tremble in the confines of her own home. Then she felt the ground rumble beneath her feet. She wasted no time and darted out of her window -into the harrowing night.

Noriko could not believe her eyes. A giant fox with nine tails.

NINE FUCKING TAILS!

She rarely cursed in her life but now was one of those perfect times. She stopped in her tracks, the scene made her quiver in fear.

One of his tails made a swiping motion and disaster followed in its wake. Tree trunks flew in the air and debris fell around her as buildings were destroyed but her feet remained rooted to the ground. She heard the faint screams of the villagers. Noriko wanted to scream too but even her voice cowered in fear.

"Proceed to the evacuation zone!"

"Hey, kid! _Genins_ are not allowed to engage. HEY!"

Rough hands pulled her back to her senses. Her eyes focused on a green flack jacket that towered her.

"Go to the evac zone, this is beyond you!" The voice roared in command and warning.

She didn't know who it was but Noriko ran and ran as fast as her feet could carry her, away from the calamity behind her.

* * *

The evacuation zone was miles away, northeast from the village. A combination of Chuninand Jonin-rank shinobi put up a barrier to shield them from the destruction happening inside the village. She watched silently as a group of young shinobi like her plead with the Jonins to let them out and help in the fight. They were shut down with a firm rejection.

Everyone stood and waited on edge, anxiously waiting for the outcome of the disaster that fell upon them tonight.

"Noriko-chan!"

"Kenji!"

Kenji rushed to her side upon seeing her. "Have you see Shisui? I tried to find him, he's not here." 

"What.."

Another wave of fear gripped her heart. She looked around frantically, pushed people out of her way as she and Kenji swept the area for any sign of their dark-haired teammate.

"Not one Uchiha is here." She noticed.

"Maybe they're on their way, their compound is pretty far from here."

"Yeah, you're probably right." 

"Let's wait for him there." He pointed towards the area where villagers continued to pour in, seeking protection.

Dawn came and no Shisui came -not even one Uchiha came.

* * *

The black tunic lay folded on her bed -a familiar sight.

Familiar but unwelcome.

Noriko hated, detested the thought of having to wear it again. The clothing brought with it the kind of grief that she never wanted to feel again. Reluctantly, she put it on and got ready for the mass funeral that will take place in a few minutes.

The sky was bleak -like it decided to mourn with them. The family of those who died during the Nine-Tails' attack were at the front, each carrying a framed picture of their lost loved one.

Noriko couldn't help the tears from falling. It was the only thing she could do though it did nothing to ease the pain in her heart. 

A year ago, it was her standing there, carrying not one, but two framed pictures while the _Yondaime_ stood beside her. Now it was the _Sandaime_ who carried his picture and laid it next to the image of a red-haired _kunoichi_ -his wife. Sandaime's own wife, Biwako-sama, suffered the same fate.

And Shisui.

She spied his figure from the back. It was the first time she had seen him since the attack. 

His father did not escape death's claws that night.

The mourning crowd eventually dissipated once the rites ended. The sun had long sunken down the horizon, painting the sky a dull orange and blue.

Noriko remained on her spot just as Shisui remained in his. His family -mother and siblings- had already left. She quietly approached him and laid a hand on his shoulder.

He turned to her with sad eyes and dried tears.

"You're amazing, Noriko."

Her eyes went wide at the sudden compliment.

"To have lost both your parents and still endure and be the strong person that you are now all on your own." He paused to sniff. "How did you do it?" His voice faltered. She knew Shisui was doing everything he can to hold his tears back. So she did the only thing she could do for him; she pulled him in a tight embrace and cried for him.

Which was silly, considering the circumstances.

"I'm sorry, I wish I'd known you sooner so you didn't go through your grief alone." He continued as he gently stroked the back of her head.

"You're stupid, I should be the one comforting you." She chastised.

Shisui chuckled softly in her hair before saying, "Then I am in your care."

Moments later, his shoulders shook and his quiet sobs filled her ears.

Another pair of arms enveloped the two and they turned to see who it was. Kenji had joined them with the same crest-fallen expression. 

"I'm sorry for both of your losses, Shisui and Noriko-chan. You'll always have me, I promise."

* * *

Despite the devastating loss the village suffered, life had to go on. Missions didn't stop coming. Houses, shops, and buildings needed to be rebuilt.

As a _genin_ team, Team 11 were mostly placed in construction sites, especially the construction of the Academy which was decimated in the attack, while experienced and skilled shinobi were given tasks that only experienced and skilled shinobi can do.

Something team 11 did not know because although they were skilled, they were still inexperienced.

The Sandaime, with a heavy heart, donned again the Hokage's robes and lead the restoration of the village.

Noriko kept a watchful eye on Shisui and so did Kenji. She knew, most, the feeling of loss that he recently experienced. She wanted to be there for him whenever he needs her. But Shisui always assures them both that he was fine.

Once, when they were done with their task for the day, Kenji invited them to hang out at the top of the Hokage Monument -something the two hadn't done before so it didn't take much convincing on Kenji's part to convince them.

They sat gazing at the immense beauty that is Konohagakure no Sato, despite the disaster, the village shines in all its glory under the setting sun. Side by side, the trio marveled at that which they swore their lives to protect and give service to.

"I wish none of this happened." Kenji murmured. "The wars, the nine-tails' attack. I wish the village wasn't destroyed, I don't want to see it like this again."

"All of us wish the same too." Noriko added.

"What happened already happened but what will happen is what we make of it', my father used to say."

Noriko looked at Shisui with a soft smile. "I agree with him."

Kenji faced them, brows knitted together. "What?"

Shisui and Noriko burst out laughing. 

"Knucklehead." She teased.

* * *

"Noriko, you're coming with me. The two of you, you're dismissed." Akio-sensei instructed.

The two boys glanced at her in concern but she reassured them with a smile.

"I'll be fine, I'll see you guys tomorrow." She bids.

Shisui and Kenji reluctantly relented and were off in a few moments.

Noriko has no idea why Akio-sensei told her to come with her. They were done with their task in helping rebuild some shops when their Jonin sensei suddenly appeared.

"Come."

Noriko followed promptly, trailing behind. "Where are we going, sensei?"

"To the Konoha Archives."

Her brows wrinkled in confusion. She wanted to ask why but her sensei's serious tone and demeanor made Noriko think twice. Akio-sensei was rarely this stony-faced, she was either smiling or scowling -mostly at Kenji. The first time she saw this dour expression of hers was during the Oto-nin's attack, the second was the day after the Nine-Tails' attack, and the third was now.

Noriko is patient so whatever the reason, she knew she would find out later. She just had to wait.

True enough, their path led them to the _Archives_. The building was set up into the mountain -the same mountain where the Hokage's faces are carved. The green double doors loomed over her while she climbed the small staircase.

The hinges screeched when Akio-sensei pushed it open, revealing the vast interior. Shelves upon shelves upon shelves of books and scrolls lined the hall. On the sides were chairs and tables that serve as spaces for reading.

Her sensei led her to one of the desks where a few scrolls lay open and they sat opposite each other.

"What are the five basic nature transformations?"

Noriko glanced at the older kunoichi, then did a double-take. "Sensei?"

"Do you know the answer?" She raised a brow.

"Fire, Wind, Lightning, Earth, and Water."

"And what's your chakra affinity?"

"Umm, water." She answered, remembering their Chakra Induction paper activity. 

"By now, I assume you know that these elemental chakra natures are the foundation of all elemental ninjutsu.

Noriko nodded in confirmation, still clueless where this conversation is heading.

"The Nara clan's Shadow Technique, what chakra nature does it use?"

The question caught Noriko off-guard. She never thought of it. Elemental jutsus are easy to identify because it utilizes the basic elements. But shadow? What element does it use? What element creates shadow? _Fire?_ She thought long and hard.

"How about the Akimichi clan's Body Expansion technique?" Akio-sensei asked again.

"Umm, combined elemental nature transformation?" She guessed with uncertainty. She has heard of it a lot of times.

Akio-sensei sighed, dropping her dour expression. "No, it doesn't use any of the elemental nature." She reached for the opened scroll and pointed to a circle in the middle. The circle is equally divided into swirls, the left swirl is colored white with a black spot on the upper part while the right swirl is black with a white spot on the lower part.

"Onmyoton, also referred to as Shadow and Light style, or Yin-Yang release is another type of nature transformation that exists outside of the five basic elements. The Nara and Akimichi clan's Hiden techniques use the Yin release and Yang release respectively."

Noriko observed the illustration, and read the note beside it. 

_The transformation of Yin and Yang has to do with altering the balance between spiritual and physical energy in chakra._

She looked up at her sensei again. "Why are you telling me these things, sensei?"

"What are some Kekkei Genkai that you know?"

Noriko didn't like the dismissal of her question but answered lest she earns the ire of her sensei.

"The first Hokage's Wood release, Uchiha's Sharingan, umm... Hyuga's Byakugan, that's all I know."

Akio-sensei shifted and reached for the large scroll - the largest of the bunch - on the table. "A kekkei genkai is usually strictly guarded by the clan that wields it." She unrolls the browning parchment and laid it out in front of her.

Noriko stared at it vacantly. 

The scroll was blank.

"This scroll contains information regarding the Mononobe clan," She looked at Noriko expectantly.

"I've never heard of it."

"They're an extinct clan, as far as public intel goes, there's no known living member. But they were a powerful clan in the ancient times with a very powerful kekkei genkai... or so they say." She added.

Noriko glanced at the empty scroll again. "But it's blank."

"It's protected by a seal, it can only be unlocked by someone with the clan's blood. The last time it was unlocked was ten years ago."

"Why, what happened ten years ago?" Noriko looked up when she heard no reply. She met her sensei's intense gaze. "Sensei?"

"You were born, Noriko."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiden vs Kekkei Genkai.
> 
> Hiden (Secret Tradition) Techniques can be done by anyone as long as they are taught how to do it. But since it's a secret tradition, the clans don't share its techniques publicly. Hence, why only the Nara Clan can perform the Shadow Binding Technique or Akimichi with their Body Expansion.
> 
> Kekkei Genkai (Bloodline Limit) even though is taught, if you don't have the blood the genetics that can wield it, then you can do it. Dojutsu KG like Sharingan, in the case of Kakashi, since he is not Uchiha, it takes a great toll on him when he uses it.
> 
> Hope this clears things up!


	7. Choices and Well-earned Faith

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, lovelies!! Thanks for reading Plums. :)
> 
> Comments are appreciated.

Noriko idled by the door to Kakashi's room. Ever since she woke up that night, she wondered how she would face the man after their conversation from earlier. 

It irked her how much he affected her whenever he opens his mouth, his words strike her in all the right and wrong places. His look alone perturbed her. Deeply so that most of the time she's tempted to just poke that dark orb in.

She breathed the absurd thought away and finally after _kami_ knows how long, she turned the knob and pushed the door open.

"I was doubting if you'd ever come in."

"I -what?" She stumbled over her words, cheeks flushing in embarrassment."

"You were there for a while." He remarked as he sat up.

She met his intense gaze once again and resigned. She decided that she's going to be up-front with him starting now.

"Yes, I was." She confessed. Her heart pounded in her ears.

His eyebrows furrowed. "You're apprehensive to see me." He stated and as always, his observation was spot on. 

"I am." She confirmed. "I'm going to check your vitals, may I?"

Kakashi nodded then leaned forwards and Noriko gently placed her hand on his back.

"Did I offend you? If I said anything out of line last night-"

"You didn't." She cut him off, withdrew her hand, then faced him again. "You still haven't fully recovered from chakra exhaustion but that's normal, it's only the fourth night. And as for you offending me, you didn't. I was just... caught off-guard, I guess. It's been a long time since I've had a very personal conversation with someone."

"I understand." His lips curved into a small smile beneath his mask. "I know how uncomfortable it is."

"Yeah, it was. I wanted to push you down the stairs but the Hokage would have my head," She added with a low chuckle.

"It's nice to see you not scowling at me for once." He said dryly which earned him a full cackle from her.

"I must've gotten it from my sensei." She admitted when she finally calmed down. "How about you, how does it like to have the Yondaime as sensei? What's he like?"

He clicked his tongue. "Well, he was patient, too patient, now that I think about it."

She urged him to continue.

"After my father's death, I was headstrong in my principles as a shinobi. It was mission above all else. Sensei didn't say I was wrong, he wasn't like that. He never invalidated my beliefs, nor of Rin and Obito's." He grew somber, gaze focusing on nothing before him. "He lets us discover the error ourselves. I learned it the hard way."

Noriko knew that look very well.

"It's heartbreaking to be the one who remembers, to be the one who brings flowers to their graves, or wonder what you could've done more to make them stay."

He looked back at her. "Are we waxing poetic now?" He quipped, his somber mood dissipating.

"No, we're talking about the deceased."

"What a pretty way to say _dead_."

"Yeah, you won't learn that from your perverted books."

"I'm surprised you know about it, it's like you've read it yourself, or am I wrong?" He teased.

"I read the first book because I didn't know it was like that! I stopped reading halfway through the third chapter before I chucked it out the window. _Kami_ , bless the soul who found it. I went down to retrieve it but it was gone." She recounted wistfully.

Kakashi looked at her with wide eyes.

"What?" She asked, eyebrows raised.

"I'm going to tell you something but I think you won't believe it."

"Try me." She challenged.

"I got a copy of the first book when it fell on my head."

"Wait --what?"

"I chose a long way home that night because I wanted to think. I was walking by when the book fell on my head."

"No way!" She gasped.

"Yes way."

"No freaking way! You're the one who picked it up?"

"Was it at night when you threw it?"

"Uhh, yes."

"That was probably your book I picked up. You want it back?"

"Noo waaay. Keep it!" 

The two burst out laughing at the absurdity of what happened. Noriko's mind went blank as she let out a full belly-laugh. There were tears in her eyes and pain in her middle when both their laughter died down to a chuckle.

Who could have thought that they were already connected -albeit indirectly- even before they met each other? It was as if an invisible string tied them to each other.

"Was that coincidence or fate?" He mused loudly.

"I think neither. I think it's just choice."

"What a bland perspective."

"It's not so bland!" She countered. "You see, they say life is full of choices and that's true. We make choices every day, even mundane ones -what should I eat, what should I wear, should I go to work or sleep in? The thing is, once we've made a choice then the course is set. But!" she exclaimed to emphasize her next point.

"Don't you think that the course of our lives is just as much determined by the choices we didn't make?"

"If you put it that way then I agree that it's an interesting viewpoint." He relented then smirked at her. "I didn't know you could also wax philosophical."

Noriko groaned. " _Kami,_ you're hopeless." She straightened herself. "Anyway, I'll leave you to yourself. I'll see you again later."

"Don't forget my snacks." He called out.

She smiled to herself as she walked along the quiet halls of the hospital. She made the right choice today. She was honest to herself and to Kakashi and she found that it wasn't as hard as she thought it to be. It felt natural, like talking to an old friend.

Maybe that was the reason why Kakashi unnerved her so at the beginning. He saw in her a kindred spirit, one he sympathized with because they have experienced pretty much the same things. He vibed with her so well that he saw through her defenses, walls that she'd built to protect herself. It was lonely inside, but she was safe.

But today she stepped out of her comfort zone and realized that it wasn't so uncomfortable at all. It was more like a yearning, a burning urge to reconnect.

Noriko was suddenly reminded of Shisui's words (more like his father's) and it hit her like a raging tsunami.

_What happened already happened but what will happen is what you make of it._

* * *

Kakashi's sixth day in the hospital rolled by. He was nearly fully recovered when she checked up on him last night. So far, their conversations, however brief, was amicable and pleasant. She was glad she changed her predisposition towards him, their budding friendship was something she unconsciously looked forward to.

Noriko could hear raucous voices as she neared the masked ninja's room. One particularly loud voice stood out among the others.

"Lively morning in here, huh?" She greeted. Four heads turned to her and her eyes immediately darted from Naruto to an unfamiliar boy -their faces swollen and bruised. "What happened to your faces?" She asked as she approached the group.

The boys only scratched their heads while muttering something about bad nicknames and Sakura's temper. Naruto quickly introduced the pale boy beside him.

_So, this is Sai?_ She thought as she subtly scanned him from head to toe. He had unnaturally pale skin and straight black hair. The newest member of team seven flashed her an insipid smile.

Noriko offered a strained smile in return. "Nice to meet you too, Sai. Mind if I take a look at your face?"

"I would, I don't like strangers touching me." He replied, not dropping his unsettling grin.

"Sai!" Sakura called out in admonition. The said boy looked at the pink-haired kunoichi with a comically confused face as if asking what he did wrong.

Noriko was partly amused, his bluntness reminded her of someone but before she dives into the past again, she dismissed the thought away and turned to Naruto who volunteered himself to be treated.

" _Sankyuu_ , Noriko-nee. And don't mind Sai, he's normally rude."

"No, prob." She replied then finally faced Kakashi who silently observed the whole exchange. 

In all honesty, she didn't have to check up on him this time but she figured this also might be the last time she'll see the guy. He might well be gone by the time she comes back for her shift. But then again, what the hell was she supposed to say to him? She uncharacteristically fiddled with the hem of her yukata.

"What's with the pensive look?" His question pulled her from her thoughts.

Noriko cleared her throat before answering. "Nothing."

_Why was she here again?_

"Just checking one last time before I give my report to the Hokage."

"Ah, so she's spying on me through you."

"It's called 'looking after." She retorted. "Anyways, I'll leave you to your team. See you guys around." She waved team seven goodbye then went on her way.

She was half-asleep when she kicked off her sandals upon entering her apartment. She quickly changed her clothes and retired for the day. This graveyard shift thing is taking its toll on her and she hasn't fully adjusted yet. It'll be three weeks more before they change the shifting schedule again.

She groaned at the steady stream of sunlight coming in from her window -her usual struggle. She needed darker curtains if she hopes on getting a good day's sleep before her next shift. And that's exactly what she intends to do on her day-off.

She's going shopping.

* * *

Saturday afternoons in Konoha are always festive. Konohagakure no Sato may be a shinobi village but a good half of the population remains to be civilian. It's safe to say that Konoha wouldn't be the lovely, homey village she knew if it weren't for the civilians. Whilst shinobi like her are off doing covert grand things, it's the simple and ordinary folk that hold the village together.

Ninja tools shops -shuriken, kunai, katana, senbon, you name it -are forged by civilian blacksmiths. Though some shinobi could make their own, time was something they didn't have what with bouncing from one mission to another.

Hot springs and wellness centers -a ninja, especially one who just came back from a long, arduous mission almost always visits these inns for rest and relaxation.

Cleaning, laundry, and tailoring services -most shinobi cannot be bothered to mend their ripped sleeves or wash their bloodied clothes or dust their grimy shelves after being months away from home (usually single shinobi who live alone). These services are a staple and equally vital to them.

Last but not the least, restaurants and food stalls -a standard ninja favorite. Even for someone like Noriko who doesn't go off on missions, cooking her own meal is such a chore. She'd rather dash to the nearest eatery than face the intimidating task of cooking.

The single-burner stove in her kitchen is mainly for water boiling and left-over reheating purposes. The only food knife she had is a butter knife and she rarely eats toast. And the closest thing to food prepping from scratch she can do is pickling, which she only learned because umeboshi is her favorite snack.

Noriko mentally checked her to-do list; she dropped off her laundry, bought a pair of jet-black curtains, and scoured the grocery store for a couple of instant food and some chips. The brown paper bags lay on her feet as she waited for Teuchi to serve her tonkotsu ramen.

She heard the _Noren_ flap behind her and lightly turned her head to see the new customer. She was met with Naruto's wide-eyed face.

"Noriko-nee!" He greeted, clearly elated to see her.

Speaking truthfully, Noriko didn't know what she did to always be receiving his enthusiastic greeting, like he was always happy to see her. Their encounters were few and far in between even back when Sasuke was still here.

"Hey," She greeted back.

The blond comfortably plopped down after asking if it was okay to sit beside her. Teuchi went and got his order and they were left to themselves.

"I wanted to talk to you yesterday but you seemed tired. Good thing I bumped into you here." His bubbly demeanor turned serious.

She looked at him intently. "What did you want to talk about?"

He was silent for a while as if contemplating what to say and how to say it. When he finally spoke, it was with clenched fists. "During our mission... we saw Sasuke."

Noriko's eye went wide. "What? Where? How?" Her heart thudded painfully in her chest.

"In one of Orochimaru's hideouts."

Unconsciously, her hand reached out to cup Narutos' clenched ones. "How is he? Is he well?"

A sad smile ghosted the boy's lips. "He's gotten stronger, even stronger than me. I tried to talk him into coming back but..." He shook his head.

Norio was half-heartedly relieved. If Sasuke got stronger then that must mean he was eating well. Though she doubted the emotional turmoil in his heart got any better, she was glad to hear proof that he's alive. The fact comforted her for now.

Kakashi has a great deal of faith in Naruto and the team seven-captain requested that she do the same.

"Don't worry, Noriko-nee," Naruto's voice pulled her from her thoughts. "I won't give up on Sasuke. I'll bring him back if it's the last thing I'll do." He declared earnestly and with full conviction.

It was hard not to be moved by his genuine resolve. She guessed that Naruto was already hard-pressed at the task so she wouldn't add to his burden by asking him to do it.

Noriko simply said, from the bottom of her heart, "I have faith in you, Naruto-kun."

She was rewarded with the most heartwarming smile she's seen in the past decade of her life.

* * *

Naruto insisted on accompanying her home after their meal. He got her to say yes when he delivered a convincing speech regarding the bunch of groceries that she clearly was struggling to carry. Their walk home was filled with him animatedly recounting stories during his training with Jiraya. When they reached her apartment, with the sun fully set, she invited him to stay for tea.

There were a lot of things that she hadn't done in a long time and one of those things was having tea with someone in her house. Well, come to think of it, she's starting to do things again that she thought she would never do again.

They sat adjacent to each other as they waited for the water to boil.

"Something troubling you?" She noticed his distress.

"Can I ask you for advice, Noriko-nee?" He asked, sheepish, fiddling with his fingers.

"Sure, what is it?"

His brows furrowed. "I had a dream last night. A demon fox attacked a shrine of some sort, the place was destroyed and the people were killed. Do you think it means anything?"

Noriko froze, her thoughts reeled back to an incident that decimated half of Konoha 16 years ago. The devastation and the terrified screams of the villagers hit her in a tidal wave of memories.

The whistling of the tea kettle jolted her back to the present. She stood up abruptly, missing the young boy's concerned look. Wordlessly, she poured him and herself both a cup and placed it on the table before going back to her seat.

Noriko knew that the blue-eyed, bubbly, blonde before her is the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki and his dreaming about the very demon that lived inside him is not a good sign.

"The thing with dreams, " She started. "is they're often manifestations of our fears and desires. You're gonna have to look closely at your self if you want to know what your dreams meant."

He scratched his head. "I don't get it. You're talking like Ero-sennin."

She chuckled at his comparison of her to the legendary Toad Sage. She reached out and ruffled his unruly hair.

"I'm sure you will."

"I guess so." He pouted.

She smiled at the gesture then remembered something.

"A friend once told me that there are two kinds of foxes that live inside us."

That seemed to pique his interest as he leaned forward to listen intently.

"One fox is named Love while the other is named Hate, and they are always fighting, always battling with each other, every day."

"Who wins?" He asked softly."

"The one you feed."

Her answer visibly lifted his mood. A smile crept up his lips and his eyes gleamed under her kitchen light.

Noriko had the same expression when she first heard the tale. She loved the cleverness of it, as well as the truth behind it. It felt oddly intriguing and satisfying to tell the tale to someone who literally has a demon fox -or spirit thereof- living inside him. Though it would probably take a huge amount of work to feed the right fix, Noriko was sure that Naruto would persevere.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The fight between the two foxes is inspired by a Cherokee proverb about The Battle of Two Wolves.  
> Link: https://www.scottpsychologicalservices.com/articles/32/the-story-of-the-two-wolves-managing-your-thoughts-feelings-and-actions/


	8. Misery Loves Company

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm laaaate sorry, here's chapter 8!

It's been a year since the Nine-Tails attacked Konoha. The village is pretty much back on its feet but rebuilding still took place. Team 11 is back from another mission and was given a week off to rest.

"Shisui, can we train together tomorrow? Remember when you said' you'll teach me how to use tanto?" Noriko reminded.

The said boy pursed his lips. "Sorry, Noriko. I already promised to train with a friend." He offered a soft smile. "Next time, I'll teach you. I promise!"

"Oh, it's fine." She replied albeit a little disappointed. "How about you, Kenji?"

Kenji scratched his head. "Can't, sorry. I have errands to run when we're not on missions."

Noriko smiled half-heartedly, now feeling completely downcast. "I see. I'll see you guys around." She clipped then left.

How could she forget? They have lives outside their team and in between missions. It's not fair to demand their time and attention when they have friends and families that they need to spend time with too. It was selfish of her to feel this way. She wasn't the only person in her teammates' lives.

No matter, she can practice on her own.

* * *

It was already late in the morning when Noriko finally decided to head towards one of Konoha's training grounds. It was located north of the main gate and southwest of Training Ground Three, separated only by a thick canopy of trees.

Today, she will hone her shurikenjutsu -something Shisui and Kenji both excelled in. She placed logs as targets in different locations and varying distances. She stood in the center and pulled out four kunai, trapping each between her fingers, two in each hand.

She took note of the four targets closest to her, memorizing their exact positions. She closed her eyes, concentrating. She let out a breath and moved, throwing the first two kunai that was in her right. She spun then released the two on her left just as she heard two consecutive thuds -the sound of her kunai piercing the first two logs. She halted, another thud echoed -then a scream.

Noriko's eyes snapped open in alarm.

_What the hell?_

Her gaze fell on a dark-haired boy a few meters from her. Her kunai -which totally missed the last target found a new one. It struck the boy's right sleeve, a hairline's width away from his shoulder, the kunai embedded itself on a tree trunk, trapping the boy in place. His dark hair was spiky and his face bore a terrified expression.

Noriko ran towards him. "Are you okay?" She asked in concern as she pulled out the kunai, freeing him.

The boy just stared at her wide-eyed and speechless while she checks his arm, but found no sign of injury.

"You shouldn't be prowling on training grounds, it's dangerous." She admonished. "I could've hurt you."

"If your aim was better then you wouldn't have hurt anyone."

Her nostrils flared at the jab on her skill. "The goal of throwing your kunai is to hurt someone. What are you doing here anyway?" 

She eyed him from head to toe, he's too young for Academy so he couldn't be a student.

"I'm looking for my brother. And he's better than you."

"Well, your brother is not here so get lost."

The boy harrumphed in reply then turned to leave -only he didn't leave.

Noriko raised a brow.

He turned to face her again but his eyes were avoiding her. "Do you know where training ground three is?"

"Why? Is that where your brother is training?"

"Yes." He answered then pouted. "He said he'll teach me shurikenjutsu today but he went out with _that_ Shisui."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "You know Uchiha Shisui?"

He nodded. "He's nii-san's friend and lives near our house."

If they live near each other then..

"What's your name, snotty?"

His face contorted in disapproval at having called _snotty_. "My name is Uchiha Sasuke!"

Noriko clicked her tongue. She knew it, dark-hair with intense eyes. An Uchiha, no doubt.

"You shouldn't disturb your brother, he's probably training with Shisui right now."

His brother must be the 'friend' that Shisui was referring to.

Sasuke eyed her curiously. "How do you know Shisui? Are you his friend too?"

"He's my teammate, we're both in team 11."

"Itachi nii-san doesn't train with me anymore since he met Shisui. They're always together." He confessed sadly.

Noriko felt sympathy for the boy, finding their situations rather similar. 

"Hey snotty, wanna learn shurikenjutsu?"

Sasuke's face lit up at her offer. "Are you gonna teach me?" She nodded then his eyes turned dubious. "But you missed your target."

She scoffed. "I'm just out of practice, that's why I'm training, you know. So, want me to teach you?"

He thought for a moment then said, "I don't have shuriken."

"You can use mine."

His lips stretched into a wide smile. "Okay!"

A soft smile escaped her lips at the boy's enthusiasm.

They say misery loves company and meeting Sasuke kinda proved that. She found in him a fellow feeling and that simple thing had endeared the boy to her, although she didn't know it yet. She thought of him as a snotty-nosed brat that she can teach and train to pass off time. 

"You're a fast learner." She comments as they both fetch the scattered shuriken and kunai on the ground.

Sasuke was agile and quick, with fast reflexes. He managed to hit all the targets in mere hours despite his sloppy beginning. He's better than Noriko when she was his age. She unknowingly took pride in that. She was either a good teacher or he was just talented.

Or a combination of both.

"Can we train again tomorrow?" He asked sheepishly as he handed her the tools he collected. He was avoiding her gaze and it made her chuckle.

Noriko ruffled his sweaty hair. "Sure, snotty."

"Hmph! My name is Sasuke."

"I know, snotty." She teased which earned her another grunt.

She neatly packed her tools back in her bag then turned to the boy again. "Wanna grab some snacks?"

Sasuke beamed at her and took her offered hand.

* * *

It was a few weeks later when Noriko personally met Sasuke's brother, Uchiha Itachi.

Kenji and Noriko planned to meet that day to train but they ended up exploring the street food park of Konoha -Kenji's treat. Food was something they both love -though not as passionately as Akimichis.

"Wasabi-flavored wataame? That looks interesting!" Kenji pointed to a stall that sells cotton candies.

A wrinkled grandpa manned the shop where a few kids had lined up for their order.

Noriko giggled excitedly. "Let's try it!"

The two were buried in their second batch when Shisui found them.

"Shisui, you're here!"

She heard Kenji spoke. They were used to his absence by now, whenever they're on break. And even without Sasuke telling her, Noriko knew that he's probably with the younger boy's brother.

She had been training Sasuke ever since they met. She tries to spare him her time whenever possible.

"I thought you were training with your _friend_?" She asked, trying not to sound too sarcastic. Shisui had yet to fulfill his promise of teaching her how to wield the tanto.

Noriko would not admit to herself that she was jealous of his new friend. And the fact that she missed spending time with him other than during their missions. He was, after all, the first friend she had.

"I was but we took a break because he said he wanted to meet you." Shisui replied. That was when they noticed a boy that stood beside him.

He had the same dark hair as any other Uchiha, except his was longer with short bangs framing the side of his face. His tear troughs were more evident than Shisui's but his intense eyes leveled his. Observing him longer, she saw the boys resemblance to Sasuke. They have the same nose and mouth.

"Kenji, Noriko this is Uchiha Itachi." Shisui introduced. Itachi stepped forward and offered a friendly smile. "Itachi, meet my teammates, Noriko and Kenji."

"Nice to meet you both."

"Ehh, so you're Shisui's friend, nice to meet you too!" Kenji beamed at him.

"You're Sasuke's brother?" She asked, despite knowing the answer, and not exactly in a friendly way. Sasuke looks up to his older brother and has expressed it countless times but Norko felt nothing but animosity towards him.

"Yes, I am. Thank you for looking after Sasuke. He likes you very much."

She can feel Shisui and Kenji's confused looks, she hadn't told any of them her numerous rendezvous with the little Uchiha. It seems Itachi hadn't shared this with Shisui either.

"Don't make promises that you can't keep, Uchiha." She said with a snide, sparing Shisui a quick glance. "Sasuke's too young to experience broken promises. The next time you promise to train him, please actually train him. He's really looking forward to it."

"Noriko..." Shisui softly called, looking guilty. It seems he didn't miss the thinly veiled jab at him.

"Come on, Kenji, they need to train. Right?" She asked pointedly at the two but she didn't give them time to answer as she tugged on Kenji's hand and pulled him away from them.

"Umm, Noriko-chan, are you mad at Shisui?"

They stopped at a nearby bench where Noriko plopped down and sighed. "I don't know. Maybe?"

"Is it because he hasn't trained with us lately?"

"Well, he did promise us, remember?"

"Don't worry, I'm sure he'll find time soon." He assured. "In the mean time, let's get those chili-flavored ice cream, what do you think?"

Noriko smiled at Kenji. She stood up and pulled him in a hug, surprising him. He relaxed seconds later and returned the gesture.

"Thanks for being with me today, Kenji. I'm so glad to have you as my friend."

"Me too, Noriko-chan."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments are appreciated :))


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